Keyboard for type-writing machines



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. B. KIRBY.

KEYBOARD FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

No. 597.776. Patented Jan. 25,1898.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet 2.

B. B. KIRBY. 4 KEYBOARD FOR TYPE WRITING MAC'HIIWJS.

No. 597,776. Patented Jan. 25, 1898.

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B. B. KIRBY. KEYBOARD FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. N0. 597,776. PatentedJan. '25, 1898.

M66 7:7..5 -W@. 1 dayc/z izlw MM UNITED STATES PATENT tries.

EDMUND B. KIRBY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

KEYBOARD F'OR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,776, dated January25, 1898.

Application filed June 20, 1896. Renewed June 18, 1897. Serial No.641,385. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND B. KIRBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keyboard Mechanismfor Type-Vriters and Analogous Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My present invention relates to certain im provements in the keyboardmechanism for type-writers and analogous machines which is described inmy application, Serial No. 567,989, filed November 5, 1895.

The objects of the present invention are to simplify the mechanism andto increase its efficiency and durability.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of partswhich are hereinafter described in detaihand definitely set forth in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View of the mechanism embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of said mechanism online 2 2 of Fig. 1 viewed from the right. Fig. 3 is a sectional sideview on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 of certain parts of the mechanism viewed fromthe left. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the mechanism for holding andreleasing the striking-bar. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same partswhen in position to release said striking-bar, and Fig. 6 is a frontview of some of said mechanisms.

Referring to the parts by letters and unmerals, a. 1 2 3 a 5 c Lrepresent the several longitudinal movable notched combinationbars andlock-bar.

1 2 8" 4.? 5 represent one bank of keys, 1 2 3 4' 5 represent a secondbank of keys, and 1 2 3 4 5 a third bank of keys.

D D represent the rock-shafts, having arms (Z, with which the stems ofthe keys engage. (i represents arms attached to said rockshafts, wherebythe motion of the rock-shafts causes the longitudinal movement of thenotched bars.

0 0 represent the key-levers of any typewriter with which my mechanismis to be used, and M represents push-rods, which are pivoted to saidlevers O for transmitting mo tion from a striking-bar to said levers.Each 'of the push-rods M has on its front side a cam m The mechanismabove described is substain tially like the corresponding mechanismwhich is shown and described in detail in the prior application referredto, and it has the same mode of operation, wherefore it is believed thatit is unnecessary to give a more extended description of said parts inthis application.

' .A series of letter-bars G, which are pivoted on a transverse rod 9extend over the c0mbination-bars and normally rest upon one or more ofthe stubs between the notches in said combination-bars, being severallyunder the influenceof the springs g. To this extent these letter barsare substantially like the letter-bars described in said priorapplication; but the letter-bars, instead of acting directly upon thepush-rods M to move them beneath the striking-bar, as they do in themachine described in said former application, merely act as triggerswhich normally hold and pre-' vent the action of independent mechanismfor moving said push-rods. This independent mechanism consists of atriple lever E for each push-rod and letter-bar. All of these triplelevers are pivoted upon a transverse rod 6 and are provided with arms 6c 6 extending, respectively, downward, upward, and forward, and eachtriple lever is under the influence of a spring a acting upon the top ofthe arm 6 and tending to rock said lever so that its arm e is movedrearward. The downwardly-extended arm 6 of each triple lever is providedwith a toe 6 which is adapted to engage with the push-rod M when thelever E is released, with the result of moving said push-rod beneath thestriking-bar. On the rear end of the letter-bars is a tooth g, whichengages with the lower end of the arm 6 and prevents its rearwardmotion. The forwardly-extended arm 6 is bent downwa rd and has at itslower end a beveled finger 6 which engages with the beveled upper end ofan arm g projecting upwardly from the letter-bar. The third arm 6extends upwardly and lies just behind but in contact with thetrigger-bar F. This trigger-bar is secured to the tops of two arms f,which are pivoted at their lower ends to the framework of the machine.

The striking-bar K, which extends transverse] y of the machine, so thatit may act upon any push-rod, is secured at its ends to side bars whichare pivoted, preferably on a transverse rod 70 to the sides of themachine. At the middle of the machine two curved arms 70 7a are securedto the striking-bar and extend therefrom upward and forward, and theyare united at their upper ends and near the striking-bar by twocross-bars 7& k An arm 70 which is connected with the cross-bar, ispivoted at its lower end in line with the pivots of the side bars,preferably on the transverse rod 70 These two side bars 7c, strikingbarK, curved arms k k, cross-bars k 70 and arm k are all rigidly connectedand constitute a striking-bar frame which swings upon the axis of therod 70 The upper end of the arm 10 lies between the two adjustably-fixedrubber buffers 70 U, which it strikes as the said frame is moved forwardand backward, these buffers acting as stops and taking up the jar atboth ends of the movements of said frame. The said frame is movedbackward and downward to cause the actuation of a key-lever O of thetype-writer by a spring T, which is held between a fixed cross-bar 25,forming a part of the framework of the machine, and the arm k of saidstriking-bar frame. The frame is returned to its normal position by apower device which is released for this purpose when the striking-barhas completed its downward stroke. In the construction shown this powerdevice consists of four wiper-arms n, which successively engage with astep k which 'is secured to the striking bar frame. These wiper-arms areset into the face of the escapement-wheel n, which is fast on a shaft S,which is subject to a constant force, as a spring, tending to revolveit. I have not shown the source of this force in the drawings, becauseany suitable mechanism for the purpose may be employed. The power isliberated to operate the said shaft by an escapement which is actuatedby the striking bar frame. vThe escapement, as shown, consists of thefour-tooth escapementwheel at, fast upon the shaft S, which is held atrest by a pallet P, having a tooth p, which engages with the teeth ofsaid escapementwheel. The tooth 19 is preferably pivoted to the palletand has an arm 1), whose movement is limited by the screw-head 19 and bya rubber buffer 19 interposed between said arm and the pallet. Anadjustable spring 1), interposed between the front arm 11 of the palletand the fixed bracket f holds the tooth against the escapement-wheel. Arearward prolongation p of said pallet lies in the path of an adjustablescrew-point 70, carried by one of the curved arms 70 of the striking-barframe, and when the striking-bar has completed its operativemovement'this screw-point strikes the pallet-arm p and by moving itwithdraws the tooth p from the escapement-wheel. The shaft S thereuponrevolves, one of the wiper-arms it engages with the step k and thestriking-bar frame is lifted. \Vhen it reaches its highest point, thepallet-tooth engages with the ratchet and prevents further movement ofthe shaft. At the same time a spring-pawlU engages beneath thestrikingbar K and prevents its movement downward. This pawl U is pivotedto a fixed bracket t and is pressed toward the striking-bar by a springto. A bent lever is pivoted upon the same pivot to the same bracket.This lever has two arms 11, M, of which the former extends forward to apoint where it may come in contact with the cross-bar k on thestriking-bar frame. The other arm a extends rearward, passing beneath anangle-arm 10 secured to the spring-pawl U. An adjustable screw 1%,passing through the said arm, bears upon the said lever-arm if. A springa acting upon the arm it, exerts a force tending to move said armforward, and consequently lift the arm a and this lifting of the arm "awithdraws the pawl U from its engagement with the striking-bar K.

The lever-arm a is prevented from being lifted under ordinary conditionsby a pawl R. which passes through a slot in said lever-arm a and itstooth r engages with said leverarm. This pawl is pivoted to the bracket25 and an arm 1" is rigidly secured to this pawl. The upper end of thisarm enters a slot in a flat spring W, which is attached to thetrigger-bar F. On the striking-bar frame is a cam-plate In which isadapted to'en gage with the lever-arm u and to move it in opposition toits spring u The operation of the described mechanism is as follows: Oneor more of the combinationbars is moved and the notches are alinedbeneath a letter-bar G, which is moved into the slot thus formed by itsspring 9'. This movementreleases the corresponding triple lever E, whichis moved by its spring 6. The toe e thereupon moves the correspondingpushrod M beneath the striking-bar K. The upper arm 6 movesthetrigger-bar F forward. The spring V thereupon draws upon the arm r,thereby moving the pawl R forward. This releases the arm n of lever, andthereupon the spring a rocks the lever-arm n against the cross-bar h Thesaid movement of said lever moves the pawl U and releases thestriking-bar. It descends under the influence of the spring and forcesdown the push-rod. The

' cam on the push-rod moves the triple lever E in the reverse direction,and the beveled finger e engages with the beveled surface on the arm gon the letter-bar, thereby lifting the letter-bar and permitting thelock-bar L to move beneath it, whereby the combinationbars resume theirnormal position. The camplate 13 engages with the lever-arm u and movesit in opposition to its spring if The other arm n is engagedautomatically by the pawl '7', which has been permitted to resume itsnormal position because the trigger-bar was returned to its normalposition by its spring when the triple lever was moved by the cam on thepush-rod. This leaves the pawl U free to engage with the striking-barwhen the latter has been raised. The spring \V was lifted and upheld outof contact with the pawl r by a finger Won the end of the lever-arm uwhen the spring a lifted it,wherefore the pawl R was relieved of allpressure which. would interfere with its movement by its springr? Justas the striking-bar reaches its lowest position the screw k carried bythe striking-bar frame, engages with the palletarm 19, thereby releasingthe escapementwheel, whereupon the shaft S immediately revolves and oneof the wiper-arms n engages with the step 71: and lifts the striking-barframe. \Vhen it has reached its highest point, the pawl U automaticallyengages with the striking-bar and holds it up, as before explained. Thepallet-tooth is moved byspring p and engages with the escapement-wheelN.

All of the parts have now been returned to their normal position readyfor a repetition of the described action.

the type-writer levers and a striking-bar,with

the corresponding spring-pressed levers E which are severally adapted toengage with and move the corresponding push-rods in range of thestriking-bar, and are themselves engaged and held i n opposition totheir springs by the jaws on the corresponding letter-bars,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the notched combination-bars, a plurality ofindependentlymovable letter-bars each having a retainingjaw, a beveledarm, and push-rods having camsand a striking-bar, with the independentspring-pressed levers E which are engaged by the jaws on thecorresponding letter-bars and held in opposition to their springs, eachof said levers having a toe for engagement with the correspondingpush-rod and its cam, and a beveled arm for engagement with the beveledarm on the corresponding letter-bar,

substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

3. The combination of the notched combination -bars, a plurality ofindependen tlymovable spring-actuated letter-bars each having aretaining-jaw and a beveled arm, the push-rods having cams, thestriking-bar, retaining mechanism preventing the movement of the latter,and a trigger-bar for operating said retaining mechanism, with thespringpressed three-arm levers E, of which one arm of each lever isengaged by the jaw on the corresponding letter-bar and provided with atoe for engagement with the corresponding push-rod and its cam, anotherarm has a beveled surface which is for engagement with the beveled armon the letter-bar, and that arm is adapted to operate the trigger-bar,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

at. The combination of the striking-bar and its frame, a spring formoving it down in the operative direction, a retaining-pawl forpreventing such movement, a driven operatingshaft, wiper-arms securedthereto and adapted to engage with and lift the striking-bar, anescapement-wheel on said shaft, a pallet having an arm which extendsinto the path of some part of the striking'bar frame,whereby said palletis withdrawn from the escapement-wheel, and means for withdrawing theretaining-pawl, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the push-rods and mechanism for moving them intothe path of of said trigger-bar and pawl for withdrawing the latter, adriven operating-shaft, wiperarms carried thereby for lifting the saidframe in opposition to its spring, an escapementwheel, a spring-actuatedpallet which extends 1 into the path of some part of said frame wherebythe pallet is withdrawn, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of the striking-bar frame, and mechanism for movingit in the operative direction,with a spring-pawlU having an angle-arm athe lever having an arm n which passes beneath the angle-arm a a springfor actuating said lever, a retainingpawl R for engagement with saidlever to hold it in opposition to its spring, the trigger-bar,and'mechanism intermediate of said triggerbar and pawl R whereby thelatter is Withdrawn, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of the striking-bar frame,mechanism for operating it,anda camplate It carried by said striking-bar frame, with thespring-pawl U which engages with and prevents the downward movement ofsaid frame, said pawl having an angle-arm u a lever having one arm nwhich is in position to engage with said arm n and withdraw the pawl,and another arm a which is adapted to be engaged by said cam-plate, aspring pressing said arm toward said cam-plate, a spring- In testimonywhereof I affix my signature retaining pawl R adapted to engagewith theinpresenee of two Witnesses. arm 10 to prevent the movement of the leverEDMUND B KIRBY by its spring, the trigger-bar, and interme-' 5 diatemechanism whereby the movement of Witnesses:

the trigger-bar withdraws said retaining-pawl, O. D. G

substantially as and for the purpose specified. FRANK II. LIPPITT.

